


Nowhere Man- Prologue

by The_Impossible_Girl



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, M/M, Mystery man
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-04 05:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1077044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Impossible_Girl/pseuds/The_Impossible_Girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur keeps seeing a man. He fits everywhere, but it's impossible to find him, even though Arthur sees him more than three times. Who is he, and more importantly- where is he?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nowhere Man- Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The first WIP I've posted, and the first Merlin one. I really had fun writing this prologue, and I hope that anyone who reads this will follow as it continues! Please give me comments on how to improve, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

That was how it started. Arthur seeing him, and Nowhere Man disappearing. He had no clue who he was- and when he asked his fellow pedestrians, he got inconclusive answers. 

“Hm? Oh, that kid- he had the dark hair? Yeah...dunno,” was the usual line of reply. The man had a forgettable face, a face that could fit anywhere- and for the life of him, Arthur couldn’t find the puzzle that it belonged to. 

It was odd that the first time Arthur saw him, he was across the train station. Nowhere Man, with a different shade of blue in his eyes, with earbuds stuck in his ears, with floppy black hair hanging in strands over his forehead and ears. His ears, Arthur supposed, would stick out more, if not for his current haircut, a grown out buzzcut that emphasized the man’s sharp, angular cheekbones and chin.

His hands were stuck deep into the pockets of his dark blue Northface, and at a length, he pulled his phone out, and switched to another song. Per usual, the station was uncannily silent, full of business men and women, pulsing with teens who were having some kind of adventure- all silent. As the train pulled in, the man stepped forwards to board, and his earbuds disconnected from his phone. For a split second, a Beatles song filled the high, swooping ceilings and domed roofs of the station: He’s a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans, for nobody...

And that’s how Nowhere Man got his nickname, showing up in the most random places, and making Arthur want to kick himself. That first time, Arthur was (luckily, he added to himself) getting on the same train as Nowhere Man. The other man had settled for leaning against a post near the door, a casual, graceful gesture. He was skinny too, and even Arthur realized by now that this was going far beyond a casual person watch- he was full out staring. He looked down in embarrassment, staring at the feet that moved back and forth past him, people jostling through the crowded train to get to the door. Until he saw the tattered green converse that were smothered in doodles of swords and dragons, wondered why they seemed oddly familiar, turned, and looked up into the face of the man he had bumped into, who gave him a sunny smile that made his eyes shine, and then slipped off the train with a sunny “Sorry, goodbye!”

And later, Arthur kicked himself for not saying hello- or anything else, some kind of conversation started- to Nowhere Man. Piles of emails awaited him at home- he had missed the last train, thinking about Nowhere Man, and groaned when he saw three emails from Morgana, two forwarded to him by her from his father

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
spellgrlM@aol.com

Subject: Dinner?--- Sent at 3:00pm

What are you up to? I want to introduce you to my new girlfriend.

\-- Morgana Fay

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
xcaliburA@aol.com

Subject: Re: Dinner?--- Sent at 3:12pm

Who is she? Busy, but I'll finish soon.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
spellgrlM@aol.com

Subject: Why aren't you replying with witty changed subjects?--- Sent at 3:32pm

Her name is Gwen, she's really sweet, and pretty, and adorable all the time.

\-- Morgana Fay

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
xcaliberA@aol.com

Subject: Because I'm tired. Fuck off.--- Sent at 3:57pm

So basically your complete opposite?

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
spellgrlM@aol.com

Subject: You're a complete moron--- Sent at 4:27pm

Oh, like you have a relationship to contest with our adorableness, Mr. I'm-gay-but-don't-tell-Uther.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After that, Arthur shut his computer down, and buried it in some clothes in the back of his closet.

Morgana called him that night, grinning- he could hear her through the phone, see her smug smile that sat perfectly centered to her pale, flawless skin, surrounded by pitch dark hair. 

"What do you want?"

"God, you're the rudest person ever Arthur, always making judgements, never listening to anyone, completely selfish..."

"You're going to ask me why I emailed you back with unamused tones?"

"I was not. See, assumptions, conclusions...so Arthur- who did you meet? Is he cute?"

Arthur sputtered, and nearly dropped the phone, catching it by lunging forwards and landing on his knee. 

"Morgana!" He nearly yelped into the phone, limping back to an armchair in the corner of his cream colored room.

"Hm? Oh, also, Gwen wants to tell you that she has a friend who's gay. He's supposedly attractive. Actually, she showed me a picture on her phone- he's adorable, Arthur, he looks like a puppy- tell me you don't want to date a puppy."

"First: ew. Second, whoever he is, he couldn't compare to the guy I saw today."

Morgana laughed delightedly. "So you DID meet someone! Do tell. IS he cute? What's he like? Is he nice?"

"He's...different. His eyes are blue. He's skinny, he has dark hair. Er- yeah."

Morgana made an appreciative mutter, and giggled something to Gwen, who whispered back to her before laughter filled the phone, and Arthur nearly dropped it again. 

"What?" he demanded.

"I was just saying that it would be funny if you and Merlin started dating, because of your names."

"Wait- what's his name?"

"Merlin. Ha! Merlin and Arthur, sitting in a tree- K-I-S-"

"Morgana!" he shouted, before slamming the phone back into its cradle, and then steadying the table as it rocked back and forth on its wobbly legs. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
spellgrlM@aol.com

Subject: Re: Re: Dinner?--- Sent at 5:23pm

Are you coming tonight? That wasn't very nice, to slam the phone.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
xcaliburA@aol.com

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Dinner--- Sent at 5:30pm

 

Sure, why not, I want to meet Gwen- have some relief from your face, at least. I'll be there by seven thirty.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


End file.
